Conservation land money falls short

If lawmakers were planning to undermine the appeal for a new constitutional amendment requiring the state to spend more money on land conservation and other environmental initiatives, the House and Senate budget bills may fall short of that goal.

The House and Senate budget committees this week approved $75 billion budget bills that will increase spending on land conservation, springs restoration, the Everglades, water projects and other environmental initiatives.

But the spending is less than what environmental advocates said would be a reasonable move to restore some programs that have been fiscally decimated in recent years.

At the top is the state’s landmark Florida Forever land-buying program, which from 1990 to 2008 had an annual budget in the range of $300 million. It has fallen to less than 10 percent of that mark in actual cash in recent years — with only $20 million in the current year, with an additional $50 million from land sales that never materialized.

The Florida Forever coalition of environmental advocates came into the 2014 session asking lawmakers for $100 million for Florida Forever as well as $25 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program that allows the state to buy conservation easements on ranches and other large rural properties. The coalition also asked for $55 million for the restoration of some of Florida’s iconic freshwater springs.

The House budget may have come closest to winning the highest praise from the environmentalists as it calls for spending $70 million on land-conservation, including $15 million that would be earmarked for the rural lands conservation easements.

The Senate budget calls for $40 million in land conservation.

But both budget proposals are built on a financial concept that has proven more theoretical than real. The land conservation programs are expected to raise $40 million from the sales of non-conservation land owned by the state.

Lawmakers tried that concept this year by authorizing the state Department of Environmental Protection to sell some $50 million in surplus conservation land to finance the program. The proposed sales, which drew heavy criticism, were called off.

This year, lawmakers have tweaked the concept by targeting “non-conservation” land sales rather than conservation property. But critics maintain the concept remains flawed and is not likely to generate the cash.

On springs funding, the House has $50 million in its budget, while the Senate has $20 million for springs restoration. However, the Senate is also pushing a separate bill that could call for some $400 million for the springs, although it would come as a multi-year project.

The House and Senate bills drew praise for their commitment to improving water quality in the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee systems, a priority for Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart.

The Senate has $159 million for the Everglades, while the House has $132.5 million, including $17.5 million for Northern Everglades projects.

While funding for environmental initiatives and water projects will improve in the coming state budget, environmental advocates still see a strong reason to push the constitutional amendment on the 2014 general election ballot that will require the state to dedicate a portion of the tax on real estate transactions to environmental spending.

The proposal is expected to generate some $10 billion for programs like Florida Forever, the Everglades, springs restoration, rural lands and water supplies over the next 20 years if approved by more than 60 percent of the voters in November.

WINNER OF THE WEEK: State spending. The House and Senate budget committees approved spending plans in the range of $75 billion this week. Most state programs will see increases in the coming year. State workers won’t get an across-the-board raise. But university and college students won’t face tuition hikes. And Floridians should receive some $500 million in tax and fee cuts.

LOSER OF THE WEEK: Voter purge. State election officials dropped their “Project Integrity” program to eliminate non-citizens from the local voting rolls. They blamed the decision on problems with a federal database. But the move, called a voter purge by critics, has never been popular with most local voting officials.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It’s going to sound silly and people are probably going to laugh at me but I love the moss on the trees. I’ve only seen it in scary movies. I’ve never seen it close up,” said David Beckman, the international star on his first visit to Tallahassee to lobby state officials on his plans to bring a soccer franchise to Miami.

Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief.
He can be reached by email or call 850 556-3542.
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Last modified: March 28, 2014
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